Let the Healing Begin: Trauma and It's Impact on the Brain and Body

This training will provide participants with an overview of the neurobiology of trauma and will explore the connections between trauma and child development. The research on adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and the correlations of ACES with the neurobiology of trauma will be addressed, as will protective factors and strategies that help heal the brain.
Issues specifically related to women, people of color, individuals in urban settings and members of the GLBTQ community will also be covered.

Training Objectives
Participants will:
1. Become familiar with ACES and understand how suffering from trauma can increase risks to physical health.
2. Better understand why individuals who have experienced trauma are more likely to develop mental illness or problems associated with substance abuse.
3. Be able to identify at least three chemical changes that occur in the body when a person experiences chronic toxic stress.
4. Learn why knowing when a trauma occurred can shed light on how symptoms are manifested and help identify the most effective means of healing and recovery.
5. Be able to identify two or three recovery-oriented or protective factors that can help individuals who have experienced trauma.